Co-Serve International

Building Servant Leadership Communities
A discussion guide that will help your department, team, or small group grow as a community as they learn about servant leadership.

There are very few places in our world today where we feel safe to be real with one another - where we can talk openly and honestly about our hopes, dreams, fears, struggles, and pain. We are so afraid of judgment and exclusion that most of us live out of a false self - wearing a mask that we hope will make us acceptable. But yet, the secret cry of our hearts is to be known, accepted and valued for who we really are - deep down in our souls. This touches the core of what servant leadership is all about. Servant leaders create a safe place for people - where they can be known and celebrated for their true self and empowered to know and follow their unique purpose and call as part of an interdependent community. This is why Co-Serve believes that, in any context, whether in churches, schools or businesses, building open and trusting communities is essential to servant leadership.

Co-Serve's discussion guide, Building Servant Leadership Communities, will help your group to consider together 16 servant leadership concepts. However, learning these 16 principles is not the main focus of the guide. This guide is focused on helping groups of people model these principles with each other and in each person's actions and behavior. If taken seriously, this guide will not only help you to learn about communities of servant leadership - it will help you to become a community of servant leadership.

Look Inside! Click on the image below to look through the introductory pages and the first session of the guide.

Building Servant Leadership Communities - A Discussion Guide for Small Groups is now available for $5 each. To purchase your copies with a credit card, click "Add to Cart" below.

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Co-Serve International
P.O. Box 40567
Portland, OR 97240
USA

Phone: (503) 766-4925
E-mail: info@co-serve.org

There are many excellent books on servant leadership. Co-Serve recommends the following books as a good starting place for developing a deeper understanding of the topic.

		The Servant, by James Hunter A good overview of how servant leadership principles can impact your life, your family and your business.
		Leadership is an Art, by Max DePree A good description of servant leadership in business, based on Max DePree's experience as CEO of Herman Miller furniture company.
		The 8th Habit, by Stephen R. Covey An in-depth look at how the greatest challenge in leadership is to help people to find their "voice" - their unique, personal significance.
		The Case for Servant Leadership, by Kent M. Keith An excellent overview of the principles and ideas of servant leadership. Available through the Greenleaf Center.
		The Servant as Leader, by Robert Greenleaf An essay published by Robert Greenleaf in 1970. Robert Greenleaf coined the term "servant-leader" during his time as an executive at AT&T. Available through the Greenleaf Center.
		To Know as we are Known, by Parker Palmer An excellent description of applying the principles of servant leadership and community in education.

Are you interested in learning more about building communities of servant leadership? We would like to recommend that you look through the web-sites of the following organizations:

The Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership:
www.greenleaf.org

The Greenleaf Center has many excellent books and resources to help you learn more about servant leadership. The Greenleaf Center desires to continue to share the ideas and writings of Robert Greenleaf, who wrote the important essay, “The Servant as Leader.”

The Center for Sharing:
www.centerforsharing.org

The mission of the Center for Sharing is to call forth the gifts of all people through Christ-centered community. CFS offers a Servant Leadership School and other programs and opportunities to help communities grow further in their understanding of servant leadership.

Marylhurst University Center for Servant Leadership:
www.servantleadership.marylhurst.edu

Excellent resources for helping businesses, organizations and people succeed as servant leaders.

L’Arche Communities:
www.larcheusa.org

L’Arche Communities are family-like homes where people with and without disabilities share their lives together. These communities reveal deep truths of community-based servant leadership. We highly recommend books and essays by Jean Vanier (the founder of L’Arche) as well as Henri Nouwen, a Catholic priest who spent his final years as part of an L’Arche community.

Co-Serve International is a 501(c)(3) public charity.